Among all the ancient attractions of New Delhi this is one of the more recent additions. The Lotus Temple is a place of worship for followers of the Baha'i faith. Baha’i is a monotheistic faith which focuses on the spirituality of all humankind. It is based on the core principles that there is one God who is the source of creation (oneness of God); all major religions have the same spiritual source (oneness of religions) and that humanity is diverse yet united and all humans created equally (oneness of mankind). Baha’i was founded in 19^th century Persia by Baha’u’llah. There are approximately 4.74-7.1 million Baha’is in the world today; India is home to the largest Baha’i community of about 2.2 million followers.

The Lotus Temple was inaugurated in 1986; it has a beautiful structure inspired by the lotus flower with 27 free-standing petal-shaped marble structures arranged in groups of three forming a nine sided shape with nine entrances leading into the main hall. Inside the hall is more than 131 feet high and can hold up to 2,500 worshipers. The structure follows architectural principles shared by all Baha’i Houses of Worship including the fact that there are nine sides, no statues, no pulpit and the exterior is clad in marble from Greece. The temple grounds cover 26 acres and include nine ponds and gardens. The temple is lit by solar power and has won numerous architectural awards. It is also considered one of the most visited structures in the world. The temple is open to visitors of all faiths and the lotus flower structure was specifically chosen because it is part of the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and Jain religions.

Visitors to the temple can see the prayer hall; visit the library and a few displays downstairs and visit the Information Center.